Busy, busy, busy...

This week has gone by incredibly fast so far...I'm sure it is because I have been busier than I have been in a really long time:) It's been good, but I'm tired!I got a new calling at church this Sunday...I am now the first counselor in the primary presidency. I am humbled and overwhelmed by this calling. I am also excited to begin to work with the primary children in our ward...they are a wonderful group of kids.Davram, Alannah, and Elijah have been pretty good this week:) Alannah is still working on potty training. Davram went to the senior centre with his preschool class this week, and we went for his kindergarten open house which he really enjoyed:) Elijah is moving all over the place. He doesn't like to stay in one place for too long. He really loves pulling up onto things so he can stand like a big kid:) He also likes to be involved in whatever Davram and Alannah are doing...it's really cute to watch him trying to be big.Andrew and I are actually going to go on a date this week! We are going out for dinner with his brother and wife...a few hours away from the kids sounds so good right now:) We haven't been able to go out just the two of us for awhile now, so it will be really nice to be just us and talk like grownups...and maybe refer to eachother by our real names and not just "mommy" and "daddy"...hehehe!

Potty Training

I have a love-hate relationship with potty training. I love that it means no more diapers...no more messy cleanups...more freedom...all those things, but at the same time I hate the process of getting to no more diapers. Right now we are training Alannah(that sounds funny, but whatever). She has been doing really good. Everyone always says "wait until they are ready", but what does that really mean? Alannah has been willing to go on the toilet for about 6 months now, but never consistently...it makes me wonder if I should have tried harder 6 months ago, but I didn't want to scare her away from it(plus I had just had Elijah, and quite frankly didn't have the energy for it). I hate the "accidents"...the always needing to be near a bathroom just in case...the making sure I remembered to bring(along with every other necessity that comes with taking 3 kids out in public) an extra set of clothing just in case...I hate just in case! So we are on day 4, and right now she is only having about 1 accident a day, which I'm quite impressed with cause it took forever with Davram to get to this point. What else is there to say about it? It is a crazy process and yet at the end you have watched your child accomplish something great. Davram was so proud of himself when he was able to go in the toilet consistently...and Alannah is very happy to be a big girl now. I'm hoping that I haven't jinxed the process by writing it down, but whatever. Here's to more accident free days!

For Auntie Mandy

This is a little video that I made for Auntie Mandy of Elijah playing with his Christmas present. It is his most favorite toy...he loves to sit and play with it so that it makes noise and lights up. It always makes him smile to have this put near him. He's getting pretty good at it too!!! Thanks Auntie Mandy and Uncle Bruce!!!

KISS!!

Since Valentine's day is on a sunday this year, we decided that we would celebrate tonight instead:) We also thought it might be fun to celebrate with the kids too, instead of getting a babysitter...so we packed everyone up and headed into Edmonton to go to Denny's for dinner. Now Denny's may not seem like the most romantic choice(though romance was pretty much a non option with 3 kids coming with us), but it is the restaurant that we went to 7 years ago on Valentine's day, after which Andrew proposed. We were a little worried about taking the kids out to eat...the last time we went out for dinner it was a complete disaster and we vowed to never ever ever do it again. But the kids totally surprised us tonight...they were so good, listened really good, and they ate their dinner without any arguments. Which also meant that Andrew and I actually got to eat our dinner and talk to eachother.
Andrew bought me a Cricut machine for Valentine's and some roses...I'm excited to start working with my machine to do some scrapbooking. I've been doing digital scrapbooking but I still really like to do the traditional ones as well...I have been trying to work on our wedding scrapbook for a while now(I know, we've been married for 7 years), but with the basement still being renovated I haven't really had a place to work on it. But hopefully in the next little while I will be able to set my stuff up and really get back to it:)
Happy Valentine's Day!!!

First Kiss

Today was Davram's valentine's party at preschool. We spent the week making cards for all his friends, which he was very excited to give to them. The class got to join in with the other 4 year old class, which is a big thrill cause they see the other kids but never get to really play with them:) When I went to pick him up, one of the parent helpers walked by and told me that her daughter kissed Davram today...that's right, Davram received his first kiss today! Only 4 years old...what a stud:)
Elijah is crawling all over the place, and is now also very interested in pulling himself up onto things. He likes to walk along the edge of the couch...and today he very much enjoyed getting to stand up in the bathtub:) It's fun to see him getting so big. Davram today got upset that Elijah crawled over to the game that he and Alannah were playing and knocked it all down...so funny:) They talk about how much they want him to be able to play with them, but when he does they get upset:) Andrew and I have been wondering if Elijah is more aware of what bigger kids are doing, or if we notice it more because he is around bigger kids:) He is so concerned with the way that other people behave and they way they look. Elijah wants to be just like everyone else...but who can blame him?

Alannah and I got to spend a little time together while Davram was at school. Being the middle kid, she doesn't get to have alot of one on one time with either Andrew or myself. It's fun to watch her come up with games to play when Davram isn't around...usually he is the one that dictates the way a game is played:) I do know however that Alannah is absolutely in love with her big brother...she thinks he is the greatest thing ever and I hope that never changes.

Hhhmmmm...

This has been a pretty quiet week around here...I've been sick so we haven't really been doing anything to exciting:(
I had Davram and Alannah make their own Valentines for their friends...which they were very excited about. It was a long process but the turned out really cute:) We made little love bugs, like ones that I had made when I was in kindergarten...so cool:) I'll take a pic and post it later...
I was making a smoothie for the kids the other day, and when I was cutting the strawberries Davram was asking how I could do it so fast. I told him that I was really talented...and he said to me, "Are you going to be in the circus?" hehehehe...so funny...made me laugh like crazy. He's so cute!
Anywho, not much to report I guess...maybe I will have more inspiration tomorrow. Goodnight!

He's going to save the world!

So today was a crazy day...Elijah was in a bit of a mood so he pretty much refused to do any normal things today, which meant there was a lot of crying and fussing all day...which also means not much gets done by mommy:) Davram, Alannah, and I did manage to have some time to play some Lightning McQueen( I believe we watched the movie 3 times...they all kinda blend together, so it could be more or less), but not much more for mommy play time.
There was one little moment with Alannah that I wanted to share today...she is so sweet and pure that I love having "real" conversations with her. She is so inspiring to listen to and be around...I love my little princess:) So, during one of Elijah's rare content moments of the day, Alannah and I were watching him play. He crawled(that's right, folks, he's mobile!) over to us and pulled himself up on the wall. Alannah asked me why he was holding on to the wall...I told him that he needed to so he could get up. And Alannah's response to me was "He's going to save the world!"...I'm not sure why but that really touched my heart...she has so much confidence in her little brother that she thinks he will save the world. I almost instantly had this overwhelming feeling that Elijah would indeed be part of saving the world...it made my heart ache to think of what amazing things there are in store for my little baby. It made everything else in the day completely fade away...it was a great day!!!

Five Generations

I talked to my mom on Monday morning and she told me that her and my dad were going up to visit my grandma Willison for a few days. That simple statement immediately made me think of this picture. It was taken the summer of 2006, when Davram turned 1. Featured is my great-grandma Crawford, Grandma Willison, my Dad, myself, and Davram. Five generations. Everytime I look at this picture I think about my history...what makes up my family. This picture brings up so many memories that I don't even know where to start. I am grateful for my family and all the amazing things they do and have done. My family is filled with wonderful people who have very giving and compassionate hearts...I strive everyday to be more like them:) One day maybe I will be. My great-grandma passed away 2 and a half years ago...and I still think about her on a regular basis...she was a wonderful lady! I am grateful for the gospel that has taught me that my family is forever and one day we will all be together one day...it is such a comfort when thinking of those that have passed on and those we miss everyday.

Kindergarten

I registered Davram in kindergarten today. It is hard for me to believe that he is old enough to be going to school...where did the time go?? I'm sure just yesterday I brought him home from the hospital. When I told Andrew that I was going to register him today, his response was "kindergarten... great googely moogely...Boy needs to slow down :-)". We talk about our kids growing up all the time, and we always end up a little teary eyed. I'm excited for them to become bigger and see all the things they each will do, and yet I wish that I could stop time(most days) so that I can spend more time with them as kids...maybe tomorrow I will let the house be a mess so that I can just play with the kids:) That sounds like a fantastic idea!

Okay, so I started this and then we all got sick so I haven't had a chance to sit and write anything...
Last week was pretty much a write-off as we all got sick, but there is one story that I wanted to share...it's pretty lame and makes me feel a little silly, but here it is anyways:)
On Thursday night (after 2 completely sleepless nights with Elijah) I noticed that Elijah was pulling at his ear alot...so I thought he must have an ear infection to go along with his cold and that is why he refuses to lay down or eat, right? So I decided that I would take all 3 sick kids to the walk in clinic on Friday morning, since our regular family doctor doesn't work on Fridays, and it is nearly impossible to get any sort of last minute appointment at our regular clinic. So, off we went, keeping in mind that there are 2 walk in clinics in the same building, so we will definitely be able to see someone. It was really cold and none of the kids were very impressed about having to go out. We went into the first place where when I tried to go in Alannah stopped walking and I bonked her in the head with Elijah's car seat...good one, Mom...which sent her into screaming tears, but who can blame her, those car seats are heavy. So I go up to the receptionist to ask if there is space available for a walk in...she proceeds to tell me that the doctor is fully booked for the day because he is leaving early. Okay, I'll head upstairs to the other one. No, sorry, she says to me...they are also completely booked all day. I'm sorry, but aren't these places designed for someone like me...someone who's kid got sick unexpectedly and doesn't want to have to go sit in emerg for an eternity?? but okay...she tells me I could head over to the hospital cause sometimes the clinic there will take walk ins...like I want to take another chance at this walk in thing? Or I could come back at 6 for the after-hours clinic...yeah, cause I want to spend all day with a very miserable baby...and two unhappy preschoolers....good times. So out to the van we go...and back home. I call our regular doctor's clinic in the car and the only available appointment is at 3:20 with some dr I've never even heard working there before...but so be it. Thankfully, Andrew decided to work from home on Friday and now that his conference call is done I won't have to take all 3 with me. So Elijah and I go to the doctor's office(in St. Albert)...Elijah falls asleep on the way...the first he has slept in about 3 days. We get called into the actual office...and wait...and wait...and wait...and wait. I am finally able to see the doctor at about 4:15...turns out another patient was having chest pains. So the dr checks him out...no ear infection...just a regular old cold. Yep, after all that...it's nothing. What a good day:)